RAWALPINDI: With the end of the PML-N government’s tenure in Punjab, the bureaucracy has stopped monitoring Ramazan markets in the district, giving stall holders a free hand to charge the prices they want.

A senior official of the district administration told Dawn that many officials went on leave before the elections so that, in many cases, there is no one to keep a check on prices in Ramazan bazaars and the open market.

He said the bureaucracy is running the affairs of the province in the absence of political leadership and that work on all pending projects is even slower.

The Price Control Committee fixed prices for Ramazan but could not implement them, he said, adding that former ministers had visited the markets to check on prices and that after the end of the government’s tenure, neither the PML-N leaders nor the district officials are interested in monitoring the bazaars.

Meant to run province’s affairs in the interim, many bureaucrats have gone on leave till the elections

Residents of the city complain that prices of edibles have increased in markets. Sajid Raja, a resident of Jhanda Cheechi said most people would not be able to buy edibles in Ramazan bazaars due to the increased prices.

Imran Malik, a shopper in Commercial Market, said the increase in prices is badly affecting common people, making it difficult to provide quality meals for their families.

He said flour, vegetables, beef, mutton, chicken and other daily use items are being sold at increased rates.

“The working class with its limited resources find it difficult to manage the kitchen budget,” he said.

A shopper in Allahabad, Zulfikar Ahmed said the price hike was against the former government’s tall claims of good governance. He said the government is interested in power struggle and not in solving people’s issues.

Saeed Ahmed, a shopper in Narankari Bazaar said the business community increased prices immediately after the government had ended in order to make profits. He said there is no price control in the city.

Mr Ahmed said the PML-N government had made temporary arrangements for Ramazan bazaars and Price Control Committees in the cities as they knew they will not get any benefit from doing this properly.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2018